Method of detecting idle game controller

Abstract

A technique detects when a computer simulation controller such as a computer game controller is idle and, thus, that the simulation (game) should be paused immediately without waiting for an “AwayFromKeyboard” timer to time out by detecting whether the user has laid the controller down and gone away or simply is not responding.

What is claimed is: 
     
       1. A device comprising:
 at least one computer memory that is not a transitory signal and that comprises instructions that, when executed by at least one processor, configure the device to: 
 identify a motion state of a controller of a computer simulation based at least in part on at least one motion sensor in the controller; and 
 at least in part responsive to the motion state being stationary and a confidence based at least in part on at least one signal from a first sensor, initially slow down presentation of the computer simulation and after an elapse of a period, pause presentation of the computer simulation, at least in part responsive to the motion state being stationary and responsive to the confidence satisfying a threshold, slow down or pause presentation of the computer simulation, the first sensor being other than the motion sensor in the controller and the first sensor being other than a timer. 
 
     
     
       2. The device of  claim 1 , wherein the instructions are executable to:
 at least in part responsive to the motion state being stationary, slow down presentation of the computer simulation. 
 
     
     
       3. The device of  claim 1 , wherein the instructions are executable to:
 at least in part responsive to the motion state being stationary, pause presentation of the computer simulation. 
 
     
     
       4. The device of  claim 1 , wherein the instructions are executable to:
 establish at least one period based at least in part on the confidence, the period being associated with slowing down or pausing the computer simulation. 
 
     
     
       5. The device of  claim 1 , comprising the at least one processor executing the instructions. 
     
     
       6. A device comprising:
 at least one computer memory that is not a transitory signal and that comprises instructions that, when executed by at least one processor, configure the device to: 
 identify a motion state of a controller of a computer simulation; and 
 at least in part responsive to the motion state being stationary and responsive to a confidence satisfying a threshold, slow down or pause presentation of the computer simulation, the motion state being stationary being based at least in part on a motion sensor in the controller, the confidence being determined at least in part based on signals from a first sensor, the first sensor being other than the motion sensor in the controller and the first sensor being other than a timer, 
 wherein the first sensor comprises at least one camera. 
 
     
     
       7. A device comprising:
 at least one computer memory that is not a transitory signal and that comprises instructions that, when executed by at least one processor, configure the device to: 
 identify a motion state of a controller of a computer simulation; and 
 at least in part responsive to the motion state being stationary and responsive to a confidence satisfying a threshold, slow down or pause presentation of the computer simulation, the motion state being stationary being based at least in part on a motion sensor in the controller, the confidence being determined at least in part based on signals from a first sensor, the first sensor being other than the motion sensor in the controller and the first sensor being other than a timer, 
 wherein the first sensor comprises at least one microphone. 
 
     
     
       8. A device comprising:
 at least one computer memory that is not a transitory signal and that comprises instructions that, when executed by at least one processor, configure the device to: 
 identify a motion state of a controller of a computer simulation; and 
 at least in part responsive to the motion state being stationary and responsive to a confidence satisfying a threshold, slow down or pause presentation of the computer simulation, the motion state being stationary being based at least in part on a motion sensor in the controller, the confidence being determined at least in part based on signals from a first sensor, the first sensor being other than the motion sensor in the controller and the first sensor being other than a timer, 
 wherein the first sensor comprises at least one wireless receiver. 
 
     
     
       9. The device of  claim 8 , wherein the signals from the wireless receiver comprise signal strength indications. 
     
     
       10. A device comprising:
 at least one computer memory that is not a transitory signal and that comprises instructions that, when executed by at least one processor, configure the device to: 
 identify a motion state of a controller of a computer simulation; and 
 at least in part responsive to the motion state being stationary and responsive to a confidence satisfying a threshold, slow down or pause presentation of the computer simulation, the motion state being stationary being based at least in part on a motion sensor in the controller, the confidence being determined at least in part based on signals from a first sensor, the first sensor being other than the motion sensor in the controller and the first sensor being other than a timer, 
 wherein the instructions are executable to: 
 identify the motion state being stationary at least in part by accounting for motion of a platform on which the controller is disposed. 
 
     
     
       11. The device of  claim 10 , comprising accounting for motion of a platform on which the controller is disposed at least in part by removing components in motion signals from the controller that match components in motion signals representing motion of the platform. 
     
     
       12. An apparatus comprising:
 at least one controller of a computer simulation, the controller being configured for controlling presentation of the computer simulation on at least one display, the computer simulation being received from at least one source of computer simulations; and 
 at least one processor programmed with instructions that when executed by the processor configure the processor to: 
 responsive to a first signal from at least one of: a camera, a microphone, a wireless transceiver, present the computer simulation at normal play back speed and alter a pose of at least one character in the computer simulation to indicate that a player of the computer simulation may have lost attention; 
 responsive to a second signal from at least one of: the camera, the microphone, the wireless transceiver, play back the computer simulation at a slower speed than normal play back speed and higher than zero; and 
 responsive to a third signal from at least one of: the camera, the microphone, the wireless transceiver, pause the computer simulation. 
 
     
     
       13. The apparatus of  claim 12 , wherein the at least one processor is in the source and the source comprises at least one computer simulation console. 
     
     
       14. The apparatus of  claim 12 , wherein the at least one processor is in the source and the source comprises at least one server communicating with the display over a wide area computer network.